


New Year’s Eve

by emeraldmad



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Christmas, Comfort, First Kiss, Friends to Lovers, Friendship, Light Angst, Love Confessions, M/M, New Year's Eve, New Year's Kiss
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-01
Updated: 2020-01-01
Packaged: 2021-02-27 16:08:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,018
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22059850
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/emeraldmad/pseuds/emeraldmad
Summary: Merlin spends his first New Year’s Eve away from home. Luckily, Arthur’s right there with him.
Relationships: Merlin/Arthur Pendragon (Merlin)
Comments: 3
Kudos: 136





	New Year’s Eve

**Author's Note:**

> Hi! I’ve had this written for months but I felt like it needed to be published for NYE (and then I forgot to put it up until today, whoops).  
> This is based off of something original I wrote for NYE last year, and I thought it fit Merthur perfectly so I adapted it and ended up really liking it, so here it is. Hope you like it too!  
> And lastly, Happy New Year everyone! I hope 2020 brings amazing things to everyone’s lives :)

Turns out single dorm rooms are both a blessing and a curse.

A blessing, because Merlin likes his own privacy and he doesn’t have to deal with an annoying roommate who steals his food.

A curse, because he’s also terribly lonely and he’d rather share a room with his best friend, Arthur.

And, as he’s realized, it gets even lonelier the first time he has to stay for New Year’s instead of being with his family.

Christmas was fine, he’d spent it at home with his whole family like the last three years since he started university, but last year he had a breakdown after a week because his extended family were a bunch of inconsiderate assholes, and so he had decided to return to his dorm on the 29th this time. He just didn’t take into account that all of his friends would still be out celebrating with their families.

So here he was, curled up into a freezing ball of snot and tears in a corner of his room, the only noise around him being his own sniffles and the music coming from the party a few floors above, an hour and a half before the clock hit 12 to ring in another year of suffering and gay panic.

He really was a mess, wasn’t he?

His phone vibrates and lights up with a notification, illuminating the dimly lit room.

He leans over and presses the button to show the godforsaken notification, which would definitely not be his family since they’d already called to welcome the new year three hours ago due to time difference.

_“Wanna ring in the New Year with your best friend?”_

He sighs in relief and smiles to himself.

_“Not sure I’m in the best conditions, but sure”_

The response comes almost immediately.

_“You okay?”_

_“Not really”_

_“You want me to go or would you rather be alone?”_

_“Be there in a minute”_

After getting himself presentable again (which means changing clothes, washing his face and putting shoes on), he heads downstairs. The door to Arthur’s room opens right before he could knock.

“Oh, you’re here. Come in.” Nervous, Merlin steps inside and Arthur closes the door behind him. “I was getting worried, you took too long.”

“Arthur, it was five minutes.” Trying to cover his hoarse voice, he settles on Arthur’s couch —because of course he had a couch in his dorm, he was rich— and snuggles under the blanket that Arthur had been using. 

Arthur scoffs and rolls his eyes. “You live a floor above my room.”

“I had to change.”

“Why? Your hair’s still a mess.” Arthur sits on the couch with a new blanket and looks at him suspiciously, narrowing his eyes. “Wait, your eyes are puffy. Your voice sounds different.”

Instead of answering, Merlin just shifts where he sits and snuggles deeper into the couch. He doesn’t even think about how his best friend noticed all those details almost instantly. 

“Merlin, were you crying?” This time his friend’s tone is tinted with a hint of concern, softer, and his face is downcast as he reaches out to his arm.

He looks away. “I’m fine now.”

Arthur raises one eyebrow and looks at him condescendingly, but his voice is still gentle instead of light and joking. “Everything okay, Merlin?”

He sighs and looks at Arthur, who has now shifted in his seat to turn fully towards him. “I— I’m not used to being alone for New Year’s. I felt lonely.”

“Why didn’t you stay with your parents like you normally do?”

“I’ve discovered that a week is more than enough with my extended family for me to break down, thank you.” He pauses, and the music from the party three floors above them fills the silence. “Also, tickets get expensive after the 30th.”

“Yeah, I guess you’re right. Well, it’s better for you to be here instead if your family are such assholes.”

Merlin shrugs mindlessly. “What about _your_ asshole family? Shouldn’t you be off to the Maldives or something celebrating instead of alone in your dorm room?”

“Father organized a work trip with all his colleagues somewhere tropical, _strictly business._ Still took Morgana with him.”

“Doesn’t she work in your father’s business?”

“I mean, yeah, but… I wasn’t interested anyway. I’ve been there already and I’d rather stay, especially if you were also here.”

Merlin tries to hide his blush behind the blanket, to no avail if Arthur’s smile is anything to go by. “Should’ve told me, dumbass. Would have saved me some tears and two bags of Cheetos.”

Arthur smiles brightly at that and shakes his head. “You’re right, sorry. Didn’t know I had to tell you all about my holiday plans.” Merlin feigns annoyance at him and Arthur chuckles again before growing slightly serious. “But, seriously, you do know you can come here if you’re feeling lonely, right? Door’s always open for you.”

Merlin feels himself blush furiously and curses his lack of daily sunlight intake. “Yeah, uh— Yeah. Thanks.”

Arthur smiles fondly and extends his arms towards him. “Come here.”

Reluctantly (or that’s what he tells himself), Merlin shifts over and hugs Arthur, leaning against his friend’s chest to get a better view of whatever Arthur had been watching on Netflix before he’d arrived.

Just as the episode is about to end, fireworks start going off outside the window.

“Geez, there’s still like fifteen minutes left,”

“I think they’re too drunk to realize,” Arthur replies, pausing the episode once the credits start rolling.

“I wish they just banned them already,” says Merlin, covering his ears as Arthur chuckles beside him. 

The blonde nods and grabs a handful of chips from the bag. “Poor animals, man.”

Merlin fakes a pout and straightens up in his seat, grabbing some chips as well. When he turns to look at Arthur, a question pops up in his head. “I just remembered something.”

“Shoot.”

“What were you gonna tell me the other day, before Percy appeared?”

Arthur frowns. “What? When?”

“The day before I left for Birmingham, you stopped in the middle of the hallway coming back from class and said you needed to tell me something but Percy appeared so you didn’t say anything. What were you gonna say?”

Arthur’s gaze falls to his hands, fidgeting with the edge of his blanket. “Oh, uh… I don’t think it’s the right time, really. I—”

“Are you sure?” This time, it’s Merlin’s turn to look at his friend intently, but with a bit of concern. “No one’s gonna interrupt us here. You looked really serious, I don’t want you to hold it in, man.”

Arthur fell silent and continued to play with his blanket. Merlin started to worry. _Was it something bad? Did he bring up something he shouldn’t?_

Thankfully, Arthur caved in. “Alright, I—” he seemed to stop himself and think about it for a moment before making a face and continuing, “I’m bisexual. I’ve been thinking about it for a while now and I think it’s always been there but—” He stops again, shakes his head and looks up to Merlin. “Yeah, I’m bi. So?”

“Really?” Merlin finds himself promptly staring at Arthur and shakes himself. “That’s great! I mean, uh, I’m glad you told me.” He gives Arthur his best smile and prays to every God in existence that he can’t notice his racing heartbeat. As if some deity had heard him, Arthur chuckles and smiles back softly. “Is there, uh, anyone? Any specific reason you’re telling me?”

“Yes, uh, there is someone. A guy, someone.” Arthur replies evasively as he shakes the empty chip bag and offers him the remaining crumbs.

“Oh, cool.” Merlin doesn’t know if he’s happy or sad from that answer. “Am I the first one you tell?”

Arthur nods enthusiastically and Merlin’s heart jumps. “Yeah, I figured I couldn’t go wrong telling my gay best friend that I’m bi.”

Merlin laughs and wraps an arm around Arthur’s shoulders, hugging him from the side. “I guess so, yeah. Thank you for telling me, it really means a lot. Welcome to the club.”

Arthur snorts and hugs him back, settling back against the couch as Merlin lays his head on his friend’s shoulder. Just when his eyes are starting to close, lulled by Arthur’s slow and gentle breathing, Arthur shakes him awake.

“Less than five minutes left. I’m not gonna let you sleep through the new year when you’re with me, idiot.”

“Alright, geez.” Merlin straightens himself and unwinds his arm from around Arthur’s shoulders, looking at him as he sighs disappointedly. “This isn’t really how I expected to ring in the new year, you know.”

“Me neither,” Arthur answers with a light chuckle. “I expected something a bit more exciting, maybe.”

“Oh yeah?” Merlin raises an eyebrow at him, smiling at the hint of a challenge coming from his friend. “Like what?”

The air between them is tense, waiting. He can feel it.

The 10-second countdown starts a few floors above. 

_“Ten!”_

They look into each other’s eyes, taking quick glances at the other’s lips.

_“Nine!”_

Merlin feels like his heart’s beating out of his chest. He doesn’t feel cold anymore, though. 

_“Eight!”_

The memories of the last three years rush through Arthur’s mind. Merlin is in the best of them.

_“Seven!”_

Merlin remembers when he came out to Arthur almost three years ago. He still recalls the glint he saw in his friend’s eyes, the red tint of Arthur’s cheeks.

_“Six!”_

Arthur remembers the moment he realized he wasn’t straight. Merlin had a lot to do with it.

_“Five!”_

Merlin remembers that time a few months ago when Arthur asked him how he knew he was gay while studying for econ.

_“Four!”_

Arthur remembers how cute Merlin looked when he discovered him hiding a sick bird in his room, and the way he’d cried a month later when Aithusa flew away.

_“Three!”_

Merlin suddenly notices how close their faces are now, and Arthur notices too. 

_“Two!”_

“Oh, fuck it.”

_“One!”_

There’s a hand on Merlin’s neck and finally, _finally,_ Arthur’s lips meet with his. Everything clicks, the world falling into second plane. 

Fireworks.

His hands climb Arthur’s chest until they come to either side of his face, holding his jaw with one while the other winds around his neck to dig into blonde hair as they kiss. Both of Arthur’s hands end up right below Merlin’s jaw, right on the juncture between his neck and his head, holding him as close as he possibly could while their lips slide together slowly, patiently, taking all the time in the world.

After what feels like forever, Arthur breaks away from the kiss, chest heaving from the lack of air. Merlin looks up into Arthur’s blue eyes feeling dizzy, unsure if from the kiss itself or the desperate search for oxygen.

“Merlin.” 

Merlin feels his heart speed up again at the soft smile on Arthur’s lips. “Yes?”

“I like you. You’re the someone.” Arthur pauses to breathe in deep, and Merlin can see a blush has invaded his cheeks. “And I don’t know if we’re on the same page. I like you, a lot, and I want to kiss you and go out with you and be with you but I don’t know if you want that or if this is a one-time thing or—” Arthur stops himself once again, closing his eyes briefly before looking at Merlin. “So, tell me.”

Merlin seeks Arthur’s cheek with his thumb, rubbing it softly. “I like you too, you idiot. I thought it was obvious.”

The smile that breaks through Arthur’s face is enough for Merlin to live the rest of his days, surely. “I’m ridiculously oblivious, then. As are you.”

“I had a right!” He jumps up, protesting against a chuckling Arthur. “I didn’t know you were—”

Arthur pulls him in by his shirt and Merlin stops talking voluntarily in favor of kissing him again, and again, and again. There are hands at his sides, under his shirt, on his chest, and it fills him with warmth and light that he knows is Arthur’s, and only Arthur’s.


End file.
